Formal Prayers (Gokitō)
ご祈祷
When people have a special request to make of the kami, they may ask the priests of the jinja to perform a gokitō. This is a Shinto matsuri, a ritual in which offerings are made to the kami, and a formal prayer, called a norito, is read out by a priest on behalf of the attendees to make the request.
Gokitō are open to anyone who wishes to make a request of the kami, whatever their nationality, sex, age, or religious beliefs. At a gokitō, you are participating in a ritual to honour the kami. If you only wish to watch, you should visit the jinja when a larger matsuri is happening.
A gokitō normally takes 20 to 30 minutes in total, but it may take a little longer if there are other rituals happening at the time.
Appropriate Dress
As participants in the ritual, you should dress smartly and formally. Formal kimonos or Western suits are most common, but formal clothes from any culture are appropriate. If you are visiting from overseas, “smart casual” is also acceptable. Small children should wear comfortable and tidy clothes, and school uniform is also appropriate for older children.
Offering
You must make an offering as part of the gokitō. This offering should be at least ¥5,000 for each request you wish to make, but you may offer whatever you feel is appropriate. The offering should be in cash, and it is best if it is placed in a formal envelope. You only need one envelope for one gokitō, even if you are making multiple requests of the kami. If you do not have an appropriate envelope, you may hand the cash over at the reception, but please bring cash for the exact amount you wish to offer.
The offering must be handed over when you make your application, because it is placed before the kami during the gokitō.
Application
Location Gokitō reception, to the left of the sanctuaries as you face them.
Reception hours From 9am to 4pm every day. It is not possible to make advance reservations.
Process Complete the application form, and hand it, with your offering, to the staff.
Application
Location : Gokitō reception, to the left of the sanctuaries as you face them.
Reception hours: From 9am to 4pm every day. It is not possible to make advance reservations.
Process: Complete the application form, and hand it, with your offering, to the staff.
Types of Gokitō
Almost any request can be made of the kami. The ones on the following list are very common, and on the application form, and so can easily be requested even if you do not speak Japanese.
Happy Home
Kanai Anzen
That your family and home be happy and without troubles.
Prosperous Trade
Shōbai Hanjō
That your trade grow and be successful.
Avert Misfortune
Yakuyoke Kigan
That misfortune be removed from your life.
Road Safety
Kōtsū Anzen
That you have no accidents in your daily travel. Includes all kinds of travel.
Good Relationship
Ryōen Jōju
That you be able to form and maintain a good relationship (whether romantic, business, or career).
Good Health
Shintai Kenzen
That you be in good health day to day.
Recovery from Illness
Byōki Heiyu
That you recover from an illness.
Workplace Safety
Shokuba Anzen
That your place of work be safe and free from accidents.
Safe Travel
Tokō Anzen
That you safely complete a long journey, such as a holiday, or a period of overseas stay. This could be your current trip to Japan.
Happy Home
Kanai Anzen
That your family and home be happy and without troubles.
Type
Japanese Name
Content
Prosperous Trade
Shōbai Hanjō
That your trade grow and be successful.
Type
Japanese Name
Content
Avert Misfortune
Yakuyoke Kigan
That misfortune be removed from your life.
Type
Japanese Name
Content
Road Safety
Kōtsū Anzen
That you have no accidents in your daily travel. Includes all kinds of travel.
Type
Japanese Name
Content
Good Relationship
Ryōen Jōju
That you be able to form and maintain a good relationship (whether romantic, business, or career).
Type
Japanese Name
Content
Good Health
Shintai Kenzen
That you be in good health day to day.
Type
Japanese Name
Content
Recovery from Illness
Byōki Heiyu
That you recover from an illness.
Type
Japanese Name
Content
Workplace Safety
Shokuba Anzen
That your place of work be safe and free from accidents.
Type
Japanese Name
Content
Safe Travel
Tokō Anzen
That you safely complete a long journey, such as a holiday, or a period of overseas stay. This could be your current trip to Japan.
Type
Japanese Name
Content
Type
Japanese Name
Content
Happy Home
Kanai Anzen
That your family and home be happy and without troubles.
Prosperous Trade
Shōbai Hanjō
That your trade grow and be successful.
Avert Misfortune
Yakuyoke Kigan
That misfortune be removed from your life.
Road Safety
Kōtsū Anzen
That you have no accidents in your daily travel. Includes all kinds of travel.
Good Relationship
Ryōen Jōju
That you be able to form and maintain a good relationship (whether romantic, business, or career).
Good Health
Shintai Kenzen
That you be in good health day to day.
Recovery from Illness
Byōki Heiyu
That you recover from an illness.
Workplace Safety
Shokuba Anzen
That your place of work be safe and free from accidents.
Safe Travel
Tokō Anzen
That you safely complete a long journey, such as a holiday, or a period of overseas stay. This could be your current trip to Japan.
Normally, the people who are the subject of the request participate in the gokitō, but it is possible to offer the prayer on behalf of someone close to you who cannot be there — for example when praying for recovery from illness.
Application Form
Please fill in the application form at reception, in either Japanese or Latin letters (the English alphabet).
Name: Please write the name of the person that the prayer is for.
Address: Please write the home address of the person that the prayer is for.
The name and address will be read out as part of the norito (the formal prayer). If you can write them in Japanese katakana, please do. If not, the staff will ask you to pronounce them both so that they can write them down.
Gokitō Type: Please tick all the requests that you wish to make. We would like to remind you that the minimum offering is ¥5,000 per request.
Offering: Write the amount that you will offer. You may offer more than the minimum.
Ofuda or Omamori: After the gokitō, you will receive either an ofuda or an omamori appropriate to your request, as a symbol of the kami’s continuing care for you. An ofuda should be venerated in your home, so if you do not plan to do that you should request an omamori. Omamori are carried with you, and are appropriate for anyone.
On the way to the ritual, you will be asked to purify yourself with water.
Take a ladle in your right hand, and fill it with water.
Pour some water over your left hand, so that it falls into
the drained space in front of the purification font.
Transfer the ladle to your left hand, and pour some water over
your right hand.
Pass the ladle back to your right hand, and pour some water
into your cupped left hand. Use this water to rinse your mouth.
Do not swallow it; spit it out into the drained space.
Hide your mouth with your left hand while you spit.
Rinse your left hand again. Raise the ladle vertically, and let the
remaining water run down the handle to clean it. Replace the ladle.
When you reach the ritual space, take a seat. Your group should all sit together.
After receiving your application form and offering, the staff will give you a paper sash that you should wear around your neck during the gokitō. They will then direct you to the waiting room.
Please remove your shoes before entering the building, and place them on the shelves provided.
Put the sash around your neck in the waiting room, with the ends at the bottom, and tie the tags together. Make sure that the writing on the sash is on the outside, and visible.
When it is time for your gokitō, the staff will escort you to the appropriate place. Please take all your belongings with you. Normally, the matsuri is performed for a few groups together, and so you will join others offering prayers to the kami.
Gokitō are almost always conducted in the haiden (prayer hall). However, if another ritual is being conducted there, they may also be conducted in the Shintokuden hall.
The Gokitō
After receiving your application form and offering, the staff will give you a paper sash that you should wear around your neck during the gokitō.
They will then direct you to the waiting room. Please remove your shoes before entering the building, and place them on the shelves provided. Put the sash around your neck in the waiting room, with the ends at the bottom, and tie the tags together.
Make sure that the writing on the sash is on the outside, and visible. When it is time for your gokitō, the staff will
escort you to the appropriate place.
Please take all your belongings with you. Normally, the matsuri is performed for a few groups together, and so you will join others offering prayers to the kami.
Gokitō are almost always conducted in the haiden (prayer hall). However, if another ritual is being conducted there, they may also be conducted in the Shintokuden hall.
On the way to the ritual, you will be asked to purify yourself with water. Take a ladle in your right hand, and fill it with water.
Pour some water over your left hand, so that it falls into the drained space in front of the
purification font.
Transfer the ladle to your left hand, and pour some water over your right hand.
Pass the ladle back to your right hand, and pour some water into your cupped left hand.
Use this water to rinse your mouth. Do not swallow it; spit it out into the drained space.
Hide your mouth with your left hand while you spit.
Rinse your left hand again.
Raise the ladle vertically, and let the remaining water run down the handle to clean it.
Replace the ladle.
When you reach the ritual space, take a seat. Your group should all sit together.
On the way to the ritual, you will be asked to purify yourself with water.
・Take a ladle in your right hand, and fill it with water.
・Pour some water over your left hand, so that it falls into the drained space in front of the purification font.
・Transfer the ladle to your left hand, and pour some water over your right hand.
・Pass the ladle back to your right hand, and pour some water into your cupped left hand. Use this water to rinse your mouth. Do not swallow it; spit it out into the drained space. Hide your mouth with your left hand while you spit.
・Rinse your left hand again.
・Raise the ladle vertically, and let the remaining water run down the handle to clean it.
・Replace the ladle.
When you reach the ritual space, take a seat. Your group should all sit together.
The Ritual
After the purification, the ritual itself begins.
First, the priests all bow deeply once to the kami.
One of the priests places the ofuda for the participants before the kami.
The presiding priest kneels before the kami to read the norito, the formal prayer.
Bow your head while the norito is being read.
The norito is written in classical Japanese, following forms that go back over a thousand years, but it is adapted to the requests being made. All the participants are announced before the kami, and all their requests presented.
Because the norito is written in classical Japanese, most native speakers of Japanese cannot fully understand what is being said, although they are likely to pick up a few words here and there.
One of the miko dances the sacred dance Toyosaka-no-Mai for the kami. You may watch this.
The priest then conveys the blessings of the kami by waving a wand with gold streamers and small bells, called a "kinpei", over your head. You should bow your head while he does this.
The presiding priest pays his respects to the kami.
You and the other participants all pay your respects to the kami. You do this as follows.
Stand, but remain where you are.
Bow deeply twice.
Clap twice.
Bow deeply once.
You should do this roughly in time with everyone else, but some people are always a bit ahead or behind.
You will be asked to sit down again, and you have now finished paying your respects.
The priests bow to the kami to end the matsuri.
There is an announcement that the matsuri has ended, and you will be guided out of the hall.
On the way out, you will be given a set of sacred items, called osagari, to mark your participation. See later for a detailed explanation.
Purification
The matsuri begins with purification of the offerings and participants.
One of the priests kneels in front of the ōnusa purification wand to say the purification norito.
Bow your head while the norito is being said.
The priest then takes the ōnusa and waves it over the offerings and priests to purify them.
Finally, the ōnusa is waved over you and the other participants to purify you.
Bow your head while you are being purified.
The Ritual
After the purification, the ritual itself begins.
First, the priests all bow deeply once to the kami.
One of the priests places the ofuda for the participants before the kami.
The presiding priest kneels before the kami to read the norito, the formal prayer.
Bow your head while the norito is being read.
The norito is written in classical Japanese, following forms that go back over a thousand years, but it is adapted to the requests being made. All the participants are announced before the kami, and all their requests presented.
Because the norito is written in classical Japanese, most native speakers of Japanese cannot fully understand what is being said, although they are likely to pick up a few words here and there.
One of the miko dances the sacred dance Toyosaka-no-Mai for the kami. You may watch this.
The priest then conveys the blessings of the kami by waving a wand with gold streamers and small bells, called a "kinpei", over your head. You should bow your head while he does this.
The presiding priest pays his respects to the kami.
You and the other participants all pay your respects to the kami. You do this as follows.
Stand, but remain where you are.
Bow deeply twice.
Clap twice.
Bow deeply once.
You should do this roughly in time with everyone else, but some people are always a bit ahead or behind.
You will be asked to sit down again, and you have now finished paying your respects.
The priests bow to the kami to end the matsuri.
There is an announcement that the matsuri has ended, and you will be guided out of the hall.
On the way out, you will be given a set of sacred items, called osagari, to mark your participation. See later for a detailed explanation.
The words are, in Japanese:
Ake no kumowake ura-ura to toyosaka noboru asahiko o
Kami no mikage o oragameba sonohi sonohi no tōtoshi ya
Tsuchi ni koboreshi kusa no mi no mebaete nobite uruwashiku
Haruaki kazaru hana mireba kami no megumi no tōtoshi ya
An English translation is:
The sun rises with flourishing prosperity, shining through the clouds of dawn
As we revere the presence of the kami, each and every day is sacred.
The seeds of the grasses fall on the earth, sprout, and grow in beauty
As we gaze upon the flowers of spring and autumn, the blessings of the kami are sacred.
Toyosaka-no-Mai
The sacred dance offered by the miko, Toyosaka-no-mai, is one of the standard sacred dances, or kagura, offered across Japan today.
“Toyosaka” means “flourishing in prosperity”, and is a phrase often used in norito to describe the rising of the sun. The dance itself is a prayer for peace, prosperity, and a good harvest for everyone under the sun.
The dance itself is not as old as you might think. It was created by Jinja Honchō, the national association of jinja, in 1950, and designed to be danced by miko, the young women who serve at jinja. It is easy enough for children to perform at matsuri, as well.
The music was taken from two pieces: Etenraku, a piece of court music that is over a thousand years old, and Kazaguruma, written by Tōgi Watarō, the head of the Imperial Household Bureau of Music at the time. The words were written for the dance by Usuda Jingorō, a professor of Japanese literature at Kokugakuin University, one of the two Shinto universities in Japan.
The sacred dance offered by the miko, Toyosaka-no-mai, is one of the standard sacred dances, or kagura, offered across Japan today.
“Toyosaka” means “flourishing in prosperity”, and is a phrase often used in norito to describe the rising of the sun.
The dance itself is a prayer for peace, prosperity, and a good harvest for everyone under the sun.
The dance itself is not as old as you might think. It was created by Jinja Honchō, the national association of jinja, in 1950, and designed to be danced by miko, the young women who serve at jinja. It is easy enough for children to perform at matsuri, as well.
The music was taken from two pieces: Etenraku, a piece of court music that is over a thousand years old, and Kazaguruma, written by Tōgi Watarō, the head of the Imperial Household Bureau of Music at the time. The words were written for the dance by Usuda Jingorō, a professor of Japanese literature at Kokugakuin University, one of the two Shinto universities in Japan.
The words are, in Japanese:
Ake no kumowake ura-ura to toyosaka noboru asahiko o
Kami no mikage o oragameba sonohi sonohi no tōtoshi ya
Tsuchi ni koboreshi kusa no mi no mebaete nobite uruwashiku
Haruaki kazaru hana mireba kami no megumi no tōtoshi ya
An English translation is:
The sun rises with flourishing prosperity, shining through the clouds of dawn
As we revere the presence of the kami, each and every day is sacred.
The seeds of the grasses fall on the earth, sprout, and grow in beauty
As we gaze upon the flowers of spring and autumn, the blessings of the kami are sacred.
The sacred dance offered by the miko, Toyosaka-no-mai, is one of the standard sacred dances, or kagura, offered across Japan today.
“Toyosaka” means “flourishing in prosperity”, and is a phrase often used in norito to describe the rising of the sun.
The dance itself is a prayer for peace, prosperity, and a good harvest for everyone under the sun.
The dance itself is not as old as you might think. It was created by Jinja Honchō, the national association of jinja, in 1950, and designed to be danced by miko, the young women who serve at jinja.
It is easy enough for children to perform at matsuri, as well.
The music was taken from two pieces: Etenraku, a piece of court music that is over a thousand years old, and Kazaguruma, written by Tōgi Watarō, the head of the Imperial Household Bureau of Music at the time. The words were written for the dance by Usuda Jingorō, a professor of Japanese literature at Kokugakuin University, one of the two Shinto universities in Japan.
The words are, in Japanese:
Ake no kumowake ura-ura to toyosaka noboru asahiko o Kami no mikage o oragameba sonohi sonohi no tōtoshi ya
Tsuchi ni koboreshi kusa no mi no mebaete nobite uruwashiku Haruaki kazaru hana mireba kami no megumi no tōtoshi ya
An English translation is:
The sun rises with flourishing prosperity, shining through the clouds of dawn
As we revere the presence of the kami, each and every day is sacred.
The seeds of the grasses fall on the earth, sprout, and grow in beauty
As we gaze upon the flowers of spring and autumn, the blessings of the kami are sacred.
Offering a Tamagushi
The normal etiquette for paying your respects to the kami is as described earlier. However, sometimes you may be asked to offer a tamagushi before bowing and clapping. A tamagushi is a small branch of sakaki, with leaves, and has a folded strip of paper tied to it.
When offering a tamagushi, you will be asked to come forward to stand near a table in front of the kami. A priest will bring the tamagushi and hold it out for you to take. Take the stem from above with your right hand, and support the leaves from underneath with your left.
Take a step towards the table.
Rotate the tamagushi clockwise so that the stem is pointing towards the kami.
Place it on the table, with the leaves and strip of paper upwards, and the stem pointing towards the kami.
Take a step back and pay your respects as described earlier.
Osagari
The osagari at Okuni Jinja normally contain three items.
-
An ofuda or omamori. If you receive an ofuda, your name will be written on it, in either Japanese or English. Please see the page on household veneration for guidance on how to treat an ofuda, and the page on omamori for information about them.
-
Good Fortune Chopsticks. These chopsticks have been purified to drive away ill-fortune.
-
Bonito Chips. These are made in Shizuoka Prefecture, and have been offered to the kami. Please eat them to share in the power and blessings of the kami.
Rites of Passage
There are several life stages that are traditionally marked by Shinto ceremonies. Most of these ceremonies are forms of standard gokitō, and you are welcome to book them as described above.
Hatsumiyamairi
This is the first visit of a baby to the local jinja. It introduces the child and the kami to each other, and the child to the community, and prays for the health and growth of the new child. It takes place about 90 days after the birth.
It is traditional for the child to be carried by the father’s mother, and wrapped in a celebratory kimono, but if she cannot attend one of the parents may hold the baby.
Shichigosan
“Shichigosan” means “seven five three”, and it refers to ceremonies performed at those ages giving thanks for the children’s life so far and praying for their healthy growth in the future. Boys and girls aged three, boys aged five, and girls aged seven traditionally participate. These celebrations happen around November, and families often rent celebratory kimono for their children to wear.
These ages were traditionally measured by the “counted years” system, which counts the number of years in which you have been alive. Thus, your counted year age is one when you are born, and increases by one on New Year’s Day every year. It is one or two years older than your actual age, which would make children very young at the first ceremony. It is common for the youngest children to attend Shichigosan when they are three years old, but five and seven can be measured in either way.
Yakudoshi
There are traditional ages when people are said to be particularly vulnerable to misfortune, and to face important life changes. In these years, many people come to a jinja to be purified. For women, they happen at the ages of 19, 33, and 37, and for men at 24, 42, and 61. These are also calculated by “counted years”, as for Shichigosan.
Weddings
It is possible to hold your wedding at Okuni Jinja, but that is not a standard gokitō, so if you would like to do so, please enquire at the jinja office.
付録ー申込書
Name:
Address:
Gokitō Type:
Happy Home
Road Safty
Recovery from Illness
Prosperous Trade
Good Relationship
Workplace Safety
Avert Misfortune
Good Health
Safe Travel
Offering:
Would you like an ofuda or an omamori? (If you do not know, please choose omamori.)
Ofuda
Omamori
